Botttlenose Dolphins have been seen around Newquay Bay for past few days…we have plankton at the sea surface at the moment so maybe the feeding is good here as the fish gorge . There was a pod of 7 and another of 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWlkFDA1EZk
The Cutiest faces of the huge Bottlenose Dolphins as they hunted across newquay bay today and played in the bow waves of "Atlantic Diver"
Fin damage from other Bottlenose Dolphins
Dolphins porpoising out of the sea whilst we stopped and watched from "Atlantic Diver's" top deck viewing platform…it was fintastic!!
These Bottlenose Dolphins hunting in style, porpoising high out of the sea!
Beautiful Bottlenose Dolphins were back feeding in Newquay Bay on Saturday. Lucky Brentwood Selo Sub Aqua Club were lucky enough to see them ride the "Atlantic Diver" bow wave as they approached Newquay Harbour. A pod of 5 including a juvenile / calf were foraging and herding what we think was sand eel. Occassionally they leap clean out of the water…simply AMAZING acrobatics!
After Sunday's storms, we hope they survived the unbelievable crashing waves that sank 3 boats in the harbour…devastating. The Life Boat Crew and other Harbour Users fought hard to salvage what they could. Deep respect for the sea when you see it change so quickly!
What a lovely suprise today..Chris spotted a small pod of Bottlenose Dolphins in Newquay Bay, just outside of Newquay Harbour. We identified 2 dark adults and 1 pale juvenile. They appeared to be hunting, herding the fish into shallower water by tail slapping the water’s surface. It was obviously a very serious moment as there was no play involved at all. We had a spectacular “Newquay Sea Safari”, right from the harbour wall. Today was a day I really enjoyed painting “Bounty” 
A little juvenile seal “Radley”was hunting for fish just outside of Newquay Harbour too. Isn’t she cute??
….and and of course we couldn’t forget our old favourite…”Trunk” ,a semi resident female grey seal who reguarly visits Newquay Harbour shes back…and looking gorgeous tucking into some fish frames….Welcome back!
Gorgeous Newquay Seals were chillaxing in The May Bank Holiday Sunshine on one of their favourite rocks .
A member of the public kindly called British Diver Marine Life Rescue as they believed them to be tired and trying to climb on rocks to rest.
.jpg "BDMLR TRaining")
.jpg "Common Dolphin Rescue Training with Newquay Marine College, Falmouth Marine College and BDMLR")
What a great call out to have as Marine Mammal Medics, Chris myself and Ben a newly qualified medic climbed down the cliff to see the seals snoozing and doing their favourite normal thing of hauling out onto a favourite rock to dry out, digest their food and rest in the heat of the day. Was this the fastest call out after quaifying, apparently not Ben was pipped to the post by a medic who had a call out on actual day of training! We are proud to be part of this great charity which aims to come to the aid of Marine Wildlife in peril.Their hotline number is manned 24 hours a day
01825 765546
www.bdmlr.org.uk/
Two of our semi resident seals a female called Trunk and a Male Grey Seal .
As well as running daily Sea Safaris we will be running Workshop Activities in our new Newquay Marine Centre at Newquay Harbour where you can book to learn all about these enigmatic Marine Mammals and how to identify them . to book please call our booking office on
07582 466 122
Today was our first day for 2015 Basking Shark Tagging with Professor Matt Witt and Professor Lucy Hawkes from University of Exeter at Tremough . A small team of us set out from Newquay Harbour aboard "Atlantic Diver" after recent reports of sightings of good sized basking sharks were shared to the Basking Shark Tagging hotline number
07935 098 122
Wind and swell dropped and setting off at 6am conditions seemed perfect until…..the FOG arrived …and stayed.
Despite the conditions , Matt spotted a small 4.5m basking shark, which by basker standards is relatively small. Unfortunately the shark swam just below the surface which made tagging impossible. The sighting was recorded and we continued to search.
we are asking for the support of public to call in time and location of any sightings from sea or land as soon as possible , so we can pull the team together and deploy the tags .
More info about the project can be seen here
www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_445590_en.html
The "Atlantic Diver" was out in full swing today cutting a fine wash through the becalmed blue sea across Newquay Bay, "The Coast of Dreams".
The Headland Hotel was looking Regal on the cliff top behind her.
Stunningly calm conditions at sea allowed us to have not only a superb dive but an unbelievably great view of a 5m Basking Shark whilst on the return journey to Newquay Harbour. We spotted a shiney Dorsal Fin on "Atlantic Diver's " port side and after waiting patiently ,engines stopped ,the Gentle Giant , the second largest SHARK in the world , cruised slowly in circular patterns around us , feeding, mouth wide open, on the plankton that lay heavy in the becalmed sea. Its cartilage bones inside its mouth were so white they were almost iridescent!…Spooky!! The awe struck crew took pics for the Shark Trust Basking Shark fin Photo ID. Its fin was slightly damaged which will allow for easier reidentification and seemed to have some parasites dragging behind. Its snout was also scarred. A lucky sighting as it frequently feed just beneath the surface. Its always good practise to slow down when moving through these plankton rich areas ,to avoid damaging these immense and protected creatures.
Please click on link below for the Basking Shark Code of Conduct for boat users or snorkellers
http://www.baskingsharks.org/content.asp?did=26602
B
Several Basking Sharks have been feeding at surface just off Newquay , for the past few days and Guilford divers were fortunate enough to be out aboard Atlantic Diver" and see them on all three days, and captured underwater images of the beautiful sharks ….with many thanks to Simon and Kate for use of the underwater pics. Many thanks too to the Newquay cCmmercial Fishermen and Charterboat Skippers who are sending in sightings.
Imagine a 7m shark swimming past, mouth closed and looking right at you…the most exhilarating experience EVER!!! The shark appeared right over the wreck and fed briefly there, long enough for divers to record for us.
Just off the Newquay Headland , this bony Ocean Sunfish breached clean out of the water , right alongside "Atlantic Diver"…it swam at the surface Dorsal Fin flapping for several minutes , giving us all chance to take some superb pics. The Sunfish are feeding off the Plankton too. We have seen several over the past few days.
The visibility above and below the sea were superb…ahhh! what a fantastic day to be at sea!
Looking forward to this week's fine weather and to seeing what else we are going to spot.
Friday the 13th saw the arrival of another 7m Basking Shark. Colin Linne was skippering "Bootlegger" on a 2 hour Mackerel Fishing Trip on a reef just off Newquay Harbour when he and lucky pasengers spotted the Dorsal Fin breaking the water's surface as the huge shark fed open mouthed, filtering the Zoo Plankton through its gill rakers. Unusually the shark had a nik taken out of its Dorsal Fin which will make it easier to re identify on the Basking Shark photo ID Data Base. Many thanks to Colin and Crewman Graham for recording and forwarding these pics. Watch this space to see if the shark is already known to the Shark Trust or Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
The huge dark shape of the beautiful Bottlenose Dolphins caught our eye as we left Newquay harbour….lucky us!! This was to be the start of a very good few days seeing Bottlenose Dolphins ,Seals , Sunfish, Harbour Porpoise, Common Dolphins and Basking Sharks!
First sighting of the day began right outside Newquay Harbour, just off the Headland . Lucky Sharks Divers spotted a pod of 8 Bottlenose Dolphins actively feeding. They love "Atlantic Diver's twin hulls so much , 5 of them broke away and swam infont of the boat for a short period, surfing in the bow waves much to the delight of passengers before returning to their more important job of foraging as Atlantic Diver steamed 20 miles out to sea on our Blue Shark Cage Diving expedition.
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20 miles offshore…and far away from any possible swimmers or surfers , Would-be Shark Divers assisted preparing the "Rubbie Dubbie" ….good job this isn't smellivision!!
The warm fronts coming in from the Gulf Stream have seen the arrival of the Sunfish…we have had several sightings during the cage diving days. On most of the Blue Shark Cage Diving Trips we have had the wonderful experience of watching pod after pod of Common Dolphins, sometimes playing in Atlantic Diver's bow waves and also demonstrating their incredible hunting skills, tail lobbing and porpoising high out of the water…SPECTACULAR …with all having small calves and juveniles with them
and the adorable semi resident Grey Seals Medallion Man , Trunk and Dr Who are mostly always there to greet us on return from our "Deep Ocean Adventure" Don't you just love this job!!!!
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